Tree stumps........booooom

[Darhawk]

In the process of having a local timber company clear cut a small section of woods to turn over to pasture. When they're done, I'm left with stumps. Now years ago, before Oklahoma City, I'd go get a case of dynamite and cut the sticks to stump size and blow them out. Can't do that any more, and my nephew, who is a federally licensed explosives guy can't take time off from work from back east to come out and blow them for me. My second remedy, which has decent success, is drilling each stump and filling the holes with diesel, letting it soak in good, and lighting it for a slow burn. Stump grinding of thousands of stumps is out of the question, as is the timber company's recommendation of putting a shovel full of fire ants on each stump and letting them eat them out (this takes a year and I ain't about to feed those b*******).

Any suggestions???????????

 

[dun]

Sounds like it's time for someone that is good with a cat to clear and pile the stumps. Then some diesel and a match.

 

[KenB]

I tried the diesel in the drilled holes. It didn't work on my pine stumps.
I hired a trackhoe to pull them out, 5 hours and about 400 stumps were on top of the ground.

 

[novatech]

I heard that muriatic acid works to make them rot faster. Pored in a hole in the middle.

 

[dun]

Burning or rotting the stump in place still leaves a couple of possible problems. Root mass still under the ground or a hollow where the root mass used to be. The first will be a continuing problem until the root mass has totally gone, then you're at the hollow stage. In one pasture we've fighting the root mass hole problem now.

 

[alabama]

There use to be a place in south east Georgia that bought fat pine stump. They made gun powder out of them. Some of you Georgia boys may know more about it.

 

[ga. prime]

Hercules of Brunswick, Ga. buys pine stumps. If they're fat. Last proposition I got from them was $4/ton. I said no, no, no.

 

[bigbull338]

the best thing todo after log off is get a D8 in there.an push up an pile all the stumps an bury them.an yes i know that costs alot of money.but its the quickest way to get rid of the stumps.an get ready for grass.

 

[Jogeephus]

There use to be a place in south east Georgia that bought fat pine stump. They made gun powder out of them. Some of you Georgia boys may know more about it.

Herc is going to want you to let them cure for two years before they are interested in the fresh cut stumps - unless its dry land and they need stumps extremely bad. We get $6/ton and am pleased for them to stump property for no charge. I liked em better when they used stump dogs. Very good noses on them to sniff out even those buried stumps.

 

[hillrancher]

I am in the process of clearing after the loggers now. The cheapest I have found is a Big dozer with rippers D9 or bigger or a large excavator. Then there is the process of filling and compacting the holes. I have my own equipment it is still expensive.

 

[fourstates]

A good friend with a big dozer is worth his weight in gold. Time rots all stumps but leaves big holes.

I'm really thinking deep. Wear boots.

 

[Caustic Burno]

In the process of having a local timber company clear cut a small section of woods to turn over to pasture. When they're done, I'm left with stumps. Now years ago, before Oklahoma City, I'd go get a case of dynamite and cut the sticks to stump size and blow them out. Can't do that any more, and my nephew, who is a federally licensed explosives guy can't take time off from work from back east to come out and blow them for me. My second remedy, which has decent success, is drilling each stump and filling the holes with diesel, letting it soak in good, and lighting it for a slow burn. Stump grinding of thousands of stumps is out of the question, as is the timber company's recommendation of putting a shovel full of fire ants on each stump and letting them eat them out (this takes a year and I ain't about to feed those b*******).

Any suggestions???????????

D-8 with a shear blade do 20- 25 acres a day easy. Around here runs about 150 an hour.
http://dozertools.com/Dozers/clearing_blade.html

Burn the windrows when the dozer pulls out and plant grass.

 

[Jogeephus]

In the process of having a local timber company clear cut a small section of woods to turn over to pasture. When they're done, I'm left with stumps. Now years ago, before Oklahoma City, I'd go get a case of dynamite and cut the sticks to stump size and blow them out. Can't do that any more, and my nephew, who is a federally licensed explosives guy can't take time off from work from back east to come out and blow them for me. My second remedy, which has decent success, is drilling each stump and filling the holes with diesel, letting it soak in good, and lighting it for a slow burn. Stump grinding of thousands of stumps is out of the question, as is the timber company's recommendation of putting a shovel full of fire ants on each stump and letting them eat them out (this takes a year and I ain't about to feed those b*******).

Any suggestions???????????

D-8 with a shear blade do 20- 25 acres a day easy. Around here runs about 150 an hour.
http://dozertools.com/Dozers/clearing_blade.html

Fall in behind this with a heavy new ground harrow, lime truck and your seeder and you are set to go. Wouldn't suggest cutting hay for a few years but you will have grazing.

 

[luckefarm]

my grandfather used to use a hog feeder top that is shaped like a cone. i would build a fire on top of the stump with twine and brush from the loggers. then he would set the top on and over nite the stump would burn into a hole in the ground. these were very large stumps and this cost nothing but a little time. after a little time he would subsoil lightly then disc and have a new field.

 

[S&S Farms]

This happened around the block from my grandparents home. Gentle men had five to ten tree removed from his yard. He put out piles of charcoal let them on the down wind side so they would burn real slow. It wasn't until a couple yearas later he found out how well that worked. A water line ruptured under his property and the wife called him home. Seemed he not only burned up the trunks he burned out a lot of the root system he had many geysers shooting up into the air all over his yard.

This happen several yerars ago cant burn in town now.


Jeff

 

[Darhawk]

Thank y'all for all the ideas.

Talked to a guy (retired) with a machine (big old Case dozer) that has a v-shaped, best description spike, on the front. He pushes this in under the stumps and lifts them out. After looking at my disc, he suggested just doing the big stumps and let the disc chew up the smaller ones. As he pops the stumps, his son runs a small case 550 machine to push them into a pile to burn. For the work he charges $145 (both machines) and expects to be about a day. Gave references for me to call.

Another guy has a big Cat with an industrial size stump grinder on the front. He can chew down three feet into the stump/ground. He runs $110/hr. He also suggests just doing the big stumps.

Will think over both offers.

The loggers should be finished the end of next week. The machine they used to cut trees was a big Cat Skid with grappling arms and a cutter at ground level. So all stumps are at ground level. He cut the tree and carried the whole tree upright to where ever he wanted to put it. I'd never seen such a machine. He cut trees within 18 inches of my fence lines and never touched the fence. Am I happy or what.

 

[Caustic Burno]

It is amazing to watch a hydroaxe carry an 75' pine through the woods.

 

[Darhawk]

It is amazing to watch a hydroaxe carry an 75' pine through the woods.

You got that right!

I was amazed many times over. It was like the machine was a robot with an erector set. Grab it, cut it, lift it, put it here put it there. Didn't matter pine or hardwood, 75 ft tall or 100 ft tall, it just did it like the trees were toys.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Thank y'all for all the ideas.

Talked to a guy (retired) with a machine (big old Case dozer) that has a v-shaped, best description spike, on the front. He pushes this in under the stumps and lifts them out. After looking at my disc, he suggested just doing the big stumps and let the disc chew up the smaller ones. As he pops the stumps, his son runs a small case 550 machine to push them into a pile to burn. For the work he charges $145 (both machines) and expects to be about a day. Gave references for me to call.

Another guy has a big Cat with an industrial size stump grinder on the front. He can chew down three feet into the stump/ground. He runs $110/hr. He also suggests just doing the big stumps.

Will think over both offers.

The loggers should be finished the end of next week. The machine they used to cut trees was a big Cat Skid with grappling arms and a cutter at ground level. So all stumps are at ground level. He cut the tree and carried the whole tree upright to where ever he wanted to put it. I'd never seen such a machine. He cut trees within 18 inches of my fence lines and never touched the fence. Am I happy or what.

I cleared a lot of my land with loggers that used a hydroaxe, the stumps are very close to the ground. You would be years and money ahead if you can find someone with a shear blade. Talk to your logger if he is using a hydroaxe he should be familar with shearing as it is common practice here.
I have been to all these rodeos with stumps from burning which is a joke if you got more than one or two, grinding just makes them level with the ground. In about two years you have a pasture full of holes. I have dug them out with a track hoe to time consuming and expensive, have a shear come in and double cut it and be through.